Armed men have abducted a senior pastor of the Universal Reformed Christian Church, widely known as NKST, Rev. Dr Samuel Gbinde, alongside two members of his congregation in the Andyar community of Guma LGA, Benue State.
The cleric and the two worshippers were reportedly taken from the pastor’s residence in the early hours of Tuesday after unidentified gunmen stormed the area and whisked them away to an unknown location.
A source, who spoke anonymously, said the attackers arrived late at night and forcefully entered the pastor’s home.
“The armed men whose identity we cannot tell at the moment came very late at night and broke into the home of the pastor.
“They were shooting sporadically to scare the people away before taking him and two other members of the church whom they saw with him.
“We cannot tell who could be responsible, but the community is a place that is isolated and very close to Logo LGA, which is known for banditry and armed herdsmen attacks,” the source said.
Confirming the incident in a statement, the General Secretary of NKST, Rev. Dr T. A. Targba, described the abduction as unfortunate and called on Christians and the public to pray for the safe return of the victims.
Part of the statement read, “It is with a heavy heart, yet with unwavering confidence in the sovereignty of Almighty God, that we announce the unfortunate abduction of our cleric, Rev. Dr Samuel Gbinde, along with two members of his congregation in the early hours of today, 30 June 2026.”
According to the church, the victims were abducted from the pastor’s residence at the Andyar parish, leaving the congregation and the wider NKST family in distress.
The church urged all clergy, congregations, departments, institutions, members and friends to unite in prayer for the safe and unconditional release of the abducted cleric and the two worshippers.
“The leadership of the NKST calls upon all clergy, members, congregations and friends of the church to unite in earnest prayer during this difficult time for the safe and unconditional release of Rev. Dr Gbinde and the two church members.
“We also pray that God will grant strength, comfort and hope to their families, the congregation at Andyar and the entire NKST family,” Rev. Targba stated.
The church also appealed to security agencies, as well as the Benue State and federal governments, to intensify efforts to rescue the victims and bring those responsible to justice.
Expressing concern over the persistent wave of kidnappings and insecurity across parts of the country, NKST urged both state and federal authorities to adopt stronger and more proactive measures to tackle the menace.
“It is imperative to take the fight to the perpetrators rather than merely responding after these heinous crimes have been committed,” the church said.
Reaffirming its faith despite the incident, the church expressed confidence that the abducted cleric and his companions would return safely.
“As the people of God, we remain steadfast in faith, trusting in His unfailing protection and praying for the safe return of our brother, his companions and all those held captive.
“May the Lord continue to preserve His Church, comfort the affected families and grant peace and security to our land,” the statement added.
Efforts to get a reaction from the police spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful.